The Boston Red Sox, are a major league baseball franchise possessing not one, not two, but three highly enviable characteristics their peers would love to have.

First, they're the reigning World Series Champions.

Second, they play in a large and lucrative market, which in-turn affords them one of the top payrolls in professional sports.

Finally, they've got a minor league system that is absolutely brimming with what appears to be a large pool of high-quality, future major league talent.

So what's the problem here?

The "problem," if that's what you'd like to call it. Is that there are only 25 roster spots, nine starting roles, and eight starting position players on a major league baseball team.

For many major league teams, the problem is finding enough talented players to fill those spots. For a few lucky ones, the problem is that there are too many talented players to fit on the roster and in the starting lineup.

The Red Sox are one of those teams that looks like they're going to have some tough choices as far as who starts and who doesn't and who stays, and who goes?

Mookie Betts is only 21 years old. He was one of a handful of Red Sox prospects who started 2013 in the lower levels of the franchise's minor league system, and then proceeded to have an impressive season in which he started to climb up the minor league system at an accelerated rate.

Betts was part of a trio that included starting pitcher Henry Owens and third baseman Garin Cecchini.

Betts was not invited to Fort Myers this year. Barring something out of the ordinary, he will be there in 2015. Although. once the Red Sox do get a look at the mutli-talented infielder, they're probably going to like what they see.

So what exactly is the problem?

Betts plays second base, and the Red Sox currently have a Gold Glove, Rookie of the Year and MVP-winning player named Dustin Pedroia at that position. Pedroia has played key roles on two World Series championship squads and also just happens to be under contract through the end of this decade. In other words, he's probably sticking around.

That's not the only problem though. Betts has the type of athleticism that makes him a fit at a number of positions. Those spots don't look like they're opening up anytime soon either.

Shortstop is about to be handed off to the best prospect to come through the Red Sox system in years: Xander Bogaerts.

The Red Sox are going to start 25-year-old Will Middlebrooks at third base. Middlebrooks is already looking over his shoulder as Garin Cecchini speeds through the minor league system. While Middlebrooks has impressive power, and World Series experience, it is Cecchini with his plate discipline, and all-around hitting prowess who looks like he may ultimately be a better fit for the team's hitting philosophy.

Center field would appear to be the best fit for the athletically gifted Betts, but once again, a road block is currently in place. That roadblock is named Jackie Bradley Jr. Bradley is just a rookie, but he appears all but certain to inherit the starting job this season.

With all those exciting young prospects in the system, what makes Betts so intriguing?

Betts was drafted out of high school. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft by the Red Sox at the age of 18.

A high school player being drafted by a major league team is not in and of itself all that noteworthy. Major league teams draft both college and high school players. The level of expectations set for those players differs.

Betts was selected right out of high school, but he's been moving up quite quickly ever since. He spent what remained of the summer of 2011 at rookie ball. In 2012, he played at short-season Single-A Lowell. He was good enough to earn a promotion and start 2013 in low-level A-ball. After 76 impressive games, Betts was promoted to high A-ball.

Last year was the year Betts put himself on the radar. He got himself noticed by the Red Sox as well as by just about every other team, scouting website or minor league prospect ratings agency as well.

Baseball America ranked Betts as baseball's 75th best prospect. MLB.com has Betts at No. 62, ESPN.com has him at No. 61 and Fangraphs.com ranked Betts No. 59. It isn't just the rankings that are impressive, it is the speed with which the thought-to-be-undersized Betts has attained those lofty rankings.

Reading a scouting report on Betts instantly conjures up images of Pedroia.

"At the plate, Betts generates plus bat speed that helps him generate surprising pop for his size. He also makes good contact and has a patient approach. His above-average speed could allow him to steal 20-plus bases in a full season,"Marc Hulet of Fangraphs wrote.

Impressive bat speed, patience, surprising pop for is size, above average speed on the base-paths: Sure, the Red Sox already have a guy like that playing second base, but having another player in the system with those qualities can hardly be considered a bad thing.

Betts is not a secret. He is no longer an underground prospect who only astute Red Sox fans know about, but the rest of the baseball world has yet to discover. So where does Betts end up playing if shortstop, second base, third base and center field are taken?

Betts isn't a first baseman, and he's probably not an ideal corner outfielder either. Yet somehow, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington is going to have to figure out a way to make space for him. Of course, if Betts continues to hit .300, draw walks, keep his strikeouts down, hit for power and steal bases then there will be no shortage of major league teams calling Cherington about his availability.

Could Betts end up being the top prospect that the Red Sox are willing to deal? Could Betts continued improvement make another prospect such as Cecchini or Middlebrooks a more likely trade chip?

Cherington has been extremely hesitant to deal any of his team's top prospects. That doesn't mean that he won't ever pull the trigger on deal involving one of the Red Sox prized minor leaguers.

That doesn't detract from the fact that a series of shrewd moves by Daniels gave the Rangers a surplus of talent which ultimately allowed them to make one of this past off-seasons biggest trades.

In July of 2007, Daniels acquired 18-year-old shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus as part of a multi-player trade with the Atlanta Braves. Two years later, Daniels signed a 16-year-old shortstop prospect from the Island Nation of Curacao named Jurickson Profar. Profar would develop into one of baseball's very best young prospects.

Profar and Andrus already gave the Rangers one-too-many future stars to play shortstop. Moving one of them to second base seemed like an easy choice, but it wasn't because the team already had an All Star there in the form of Ian Kinsler.

When Daniels signed both Andrus and Kinsler to big-money contract extensions, it appeared as if the Rangers were resigned to ultimately moving either Profar or Kinsler to an unfamiliar position.

Then the 2013 Rangers failed to make the playoffs. For the first time in years, the team struggled to score runs and the lineup lacked power. The combination of Kinsler, Andrus and Profar gave Daniels all the ammunition he needed to help fix his team's problems.

The Rangers gave up a player they didn't really need, and in return got a player who should provide exactly what last year's team lacked. Power hitting from the first base position.

Cherington's Red Sox don't have any glaring offensive needs right now. That could easily change in the near future.

David Ortiz is nearing the end of his legendary career. Mike Napoli is signed for two more seasons. Shane Victorino's contract expires after 2015 and Johnny Gomes' deal is up at the end of this coming season.

Will the Red Sox be able to sign free agents who can play the outfield, first base and serve as their designated hitter? Of course, the Red Sox are one of those teams that can usually afford to sign the players they feel like they need to sign. That doesn't mean that there won't be better players available via trade.

One way or another, Betts looks like the type of player that will end up helping the Red Sox. He's a valuable asset, and the question as to where he will eventually end up playing doesn't need to be answered -- yet.